Framer Meetups Switzerland, A Wrap-Up and What’s Next for 2020

2019 was a big year for Framer. Major new Framer X releases improved the design process and the product. Framer Web arrived after summer. Then an idea turned into reality. Switzerland had the first Framer meetup. A few months later the second one took place.

As I look back in 2019 I would like to share a few thoughts about the experience. The things I learned organizing the Framer meetups in Switzerland. Also what we can do better in 2020.

First I would like to thank our amazing hosts. Ginetta and Crowdhouse who went beyond and above my expectations to host the meetups. Big shout out to Ilona and Lorenz who helped making this happen. Also kudos to Koen, Marciano, Viktor and Ian from Framer for their big support. Thank you everyone!

Now, let’s go down to the rabbit hole.

Time and Schedule

Meetup time and schedule were pretty good. No one had any complaints. This was great. Having said that, there were a few moments that I felt that we went a bit off schedule. Especially when it came down to drinks and food.

Solution

2020 Framer meetups would have better scheduling for eating, drinking and networking. A bit more space and time to breath if you will. Something like 30 to 45 minutes for eating and drinking before the event.

Meetup Crowd

We had a great and diverse crowd in both meetups. Men and women of all ages, expertise, background and ethnicities. Designers, developers, executives, people from startups and many newcomers to the Framer world. People who haven’t used Framer before downloaded the app the day of the meetup. Some haven’t even tried the product but were curious to learn about it. Thus they joined the meetup. That imbalance is something to fix.

Solution

Going forward, every meetup will include a short intro to Framer. What is Framer and what one can do with it. This short presentation will have examples of important Framer features and tools. Things like scroll, links and whatever comes up next. A small part of the intro will be designed live. Then connected and previewed with the rest of the showcase design.

Talks and Presentations

The first two meetups tested the waters. We listened to feedback and adjusted the content for the second meetup. People liked it. That said, every presenter is unique as is the crowd of every meetup. The style can be different but the format would be nice to follow a template.

Solution

Duration: 20 to 25 minutes

Rhythm: moderate speed for mouse movements, screen changes

Content: design or prototype examples touching everyday challenges

Style: 30-50% takes place live while the rest is showcased

Questions: taken after the talk

Sharing Resources

This is an area that we haven’t done well. Basically, I screwed this big time. Meetups come and go but knowledge and resources should stick. That wasn’t the case.

Solution

Before wrapping-up the event we should share a list of resources and big QR code. Everyone can scan the QR code and load a page with resources. Stuff like: